This week I read Infinity
and Me by Kate Hosford to a few speech groups. It is beautifully illustrated
by Gabi Swiatkowska.
At first I was hesitant to read it to the kindergarteners. I thought they might not be ready for such an abstract concept but I needn’t have worried. Before reading, I asked the kids if they knew what “infinity”
meant. They didn’t. But by the end of
the book, they had a pretty good idea.
The story begins,
“The night I got my new red shoes,
I couldn’t wait to wear them to school. I was too excited to sleep, so I went
outside and sat on the lawn. When I looked up, I shivered. The sky seemed so
huge and cold.
How many stars were in the sky? A
million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity.”
Uma, the contemplative child with the new red shoes, grappled
with this concept and looked for enlightenment by asking her friends,
grandmother, and teachers how they imagined infinity. Her friend Charlie told
her infinity is “a giant number that keeps growing bigger and bigger forever.”
After hearing from the others, Uma realized something. “It was hard to talk
about infinity without talking about ‘forever.’” She started to wonder what
she’d like to do forever and came up with a lot of possibilities like having
recess forever, staying eight years old forever, or licking an ice-cream cone
forever. My students got rather excited about some of those possibilities and
added a few of their own.
When I asked the kids what they thought about infinity, Liam
said, “If you ate infinity potatoes, you would get bigger and bigger forever.”
Enrique said, “Infinity minutes is a long, long, long, long,
long time.”
Joden wanted to know, “What’s infinity plus infinity?” (I’ll
have to consult a mathematician on that one.)
Zayd asked, “Does Googol come before infinity?” And to think
I was worried about introducing this complex concept to my students!
Toward the end of the story, when Uma spoke of her
grandmother she said,
“Right then
I knew – my love for her was as big as . . .”
I didn’t need to finish the sentence. The kids finished it
for me.
Afterward, Liam said, “Do you know how big LOVE is? It’s as
big as this.” He spread his arms out in front of him, edging them wider and
wider, until he reached around his back and clasped his hands together, leaving
all of infinity outside his circled body, snug in a cocoon of unending love.
Liam has great insight for a five-year-old. Actually, I’d say he has great
insight for one of any age. He is beginning to grasp the concept of infinity
and something more besides.
I would have loved to be at that session! You should never underestimate what a kindergartener understands or a child of any age for that matter!
ReplyDeleteGreat choice for a book!
The kids continue to amaze me!
DeleteThis si the second time I've seen this book mentioned, and I'm definately going to have to look for it.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son was about four when he first heard the idea of infinity. I remember him out bike riding with a neighbour and they'd bike in big circles around in front of our houses and talk about infinity. Could you have an infinity of blocks?
It's worth looking for!
DeleteHow interesting. Your kindergartners are a bunch of wiz kids. This is an interesting way of reviewing a book. I love the view points of the children.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time here and I enjoyed your post. Keep on hopping!
Sue @ Kid-Lit-Reviews.com (hostess)
Thank you for dropping by!
DeleteWhat sweet kids! I love their responses. It's interesting because on the one hand they need to understand the concept, but then they also need the language to demonstrate their understanding of that concept. Every night my son and I have this little routine where I say "I love you."; he then responds "I love you more"; I respond "I love you most"; and then he says, "I love you most, most, most, most to infinity." How sweet is THAT? <3
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop.
That is soooo sweet! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteInfinity and Beyond! What a lovely book and great insights from the children.
ReplyDeleteCool Mom for Stanley and Katrina
Hopping along on the Kid Lit Blog Hop
My students often amaze me!
Delete